Thanks Lisa I will try that. Sounds like a fun thing to do for my fish. Anne

DH and I used to live very close to friends and family. It got to be common practice for 4 friends (plus 1 child), my mom, and my brother to "drop by" for dinner unannounced. Usually while I was in the process of cooking dinner. You'd be surprised how many dishes can be stretched by adding rice and black beans. That, or one friend would always bring the beer (he had 2 kegs in his kitchen at all times and lived 3 doors down from us) and by the time dinner was ready everyone would be too silly or full to eat much. Obviously nothing quite as amazing at what you pulled off! I love the idea of bringing the paper goods to the home of the funeral host. Luckily I have had rare occasion to be such a guest and never the host, but I will keep that idea in mind.

Last time I was in Miami I ate at a Cuban place on Lincoln road. You know those tostones, the double-fried plantains? This place had made a little bowl out of the tostones and filled it with a tomato-based shrimp sauce. Imagine the best shrimp creole you've ever had, in a bowl made of the most sinful carbohydrate you've ever had...OMG it was wonderful. I described this dish to a Puerto Rican friend who said, 'Hey, that's not cuban, it's mofongo. A Puerto Rican dish.' Whoever invented it, it was fantastic. And I always will try Caldo Gallego if it's on a menu...

Teresa - thanks for posting this link. I'm taking a class called "Cuisines of the World" this semester. However, we're not just studying other countries, we're also focusing on several regional cuisines within America. I shared the link with a couple of my chef instructors too.